Miniature switches are used in a wide variety of applications. Miniature switches are relatively small and delicate. A typical miniature switch has a right rectangular prism-shaped body which may be, for example, about 1.0 inch long, 0.6 inch wide, and 0.4 inch thick with extending spade-type terminals each about 0.4 inch long, 0.25 inch wide, and 0.03 inch thick.
In many situations, miniature switches are provided with spade-type terminals on which are mounted special slip-on adaptors having crimp-type terminals for being crimped to electrical lead wires. The crimping operation, even when executed with care, can exert excessive forces on the switch terminal and other portions of the miniature switch which may damage the miniature switch.
In many applications, for example, where miniature switches are used in a supervisory switch assembly for a water-flow indicator in sprinkler-type fire suppressant systems, connections of electrical leads to the miniature switches are usually field-terminated at the construction site by electricians. Since electricians at a construction site typically connect cable and wire to larger and more substantial components, electricians may not exercise the care that is required to connect the miniature switches without damage to the miniature switch terminals or other portions of the miniature switch. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a means for protecting miniature switches, including the miniature switch terminals, from damage during connection of the electrical wires.
With many types of electrical systems (e.g., alarms systems, including those associated with fire suppressant systems) it is necessary to provide the capability for disconnecting the electrical wires from miniature switches, and it is necessary to provide the capability for easily accommodating the replacement of the miniature switches. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved system for facilitating switch replacement as well as for facilitating the disconnecting and reconnecting of wires to miniature switches while still providing means for preventing damage to the switches during the wire disconnecting and reconnecting procedures.
In some applications, such as in supervisory switch assemblies used to monitor the position of valves in fire extinguishing sprinkler systems (e.g., as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,686), two miniature switches must be mounted in relatively close proximity to each other. This close mounting of two switches hinders access to the switch terminals and makes it more difficult for the electrician to exercise the care required to properly connect the switches without subjecting the switches to excessive forces. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved means for mounting to such switches in an appropriate configuration to facilitate the connecting of the electrical wires to the switches.